The Socket Greeny Saga: Socket Greeny, Book 1-3

The entire Socket Greeny trilogy (Discovery, Training, and Legend) follows a white-haired teenager that discovers he's part of an evolved human race, how he trains to understand his true self, and the legendary conclusion of his true nature.

After The Ending: The Ending Series, #1

When people started getting sick, they thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family ...they're all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them-with the rest of the world-but I didn't. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I'd ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O'Connor, I'm twenty-six-years-old, and I survived the ending.

More Than Human

In this genre-bending novel, among the first to have launched sci fi into literature, a group of remarkable social outcasts band together for survival and discover that their combined powers render them superhuman. Together, they may represent the next step in evolution - or the final chapter in the history of the human race. As they struggle to find whether they are meant to help humanity or destroy it, Sturgeon explores questions of power and morality, individuality and belonging.

Compendium: Artifacts of Lumin, Book One

On the heavily forested planet of Lumin, the Network has slept, dormant, for over 600 cycles. Only a select few remember that it resides beneath the crust of the planet, waiting, and for those who do, the battle for Lumin's future has raged in the shadows.

Forging Zero: The Legend of ZERO

The oldest of the children drafted from humanity's devastated planet, Joe is impressed into service by the alien Congressional Ground Force - and becomes the unwitting centerpiece in a millennia-long alien struggle for independence. Once his training begins, one of the elusive and prophetic Trith appears to give Joe a spine chilling prophecy that the universe has been anticipating for millions of years: Joe will be the one to finally shatter the vast alien government known as Congress. And the Trith cannot lie...but first Joe has to make it through bootcamp.

The Eden Plague: Plague Wars Series, Book 0

When special operations veteran DJ Markis finds armed invaders in his home and it all goes sideways, he turns to his brothers in arms to fight back. On the run from the shadowy Company, soon he finds himself in a war for possession of a genetic engineering secret that threatens the stability of the world. But who is behind it all - and are they even human?

Dawn: Xenogenesis, Book 1

In a world devastated by nuclear war with humanity on the edge of extinction, aliens finally make contact. They rescue those humans they can, keeping most survivors in suspended animation while the aliens begin the slow process of rehabilitating the planet. When Lilith Iyapo is "awakened", she finds that she has been chosen to revive her fellow humans in small groups by first preparing them to meet the utterly terrifying aliens, then training them to survive on the wilderness that the planet has become. But the aliens cannot help humanity without altering it forever.

Cadicle: An Epic Space Opera Series, Volumes 1-3

When Cris leaves Tararia to pursue his telekinetic abilities, he thinks he's started a new life. Years later, he learns that freedom was always an illusion - he and his family are at the center of an elaborate galactic conspiracy. Written in the style of classic sci-fi from the Golden Age, the Cadicle series follows three generations of the Sietinen Dynasty as they discover their roles in a secret war. Torn by duty and morality, their decisions will change the course of the Taran civilization.

J Carroll says:"I enjoyed it. Great character development, good storyline with some interesting locations."

Brightside

Welcome to Brightside. Make yourself comfortable...you won't be leaving. They call us Thought Thieves, but it's not like we have a choice. All the sick, twisted things rolling around in people's heads, we can't help but hear. That's why they rounded us up, stuck us in this little town. It's to make you feel safe. But they can't keep us here forever. It's day 100, and it's all gonna end. One way or another, I'm getting out of Brightside.

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife: The Road to Nowhere, Book 1

When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead. In the wake of a fever that decimated the earth's population - killing women and children and making childbirth deadly for the mother and infant - the midwife must pick her way through the bones of the world she once knew to find her place in this dangerous new one. Gone are the pillars of civilization. All that remains is power - and the strong who possess it.

The Arrival: The Evaran Chronicles Prequel

Jake Melkins is a few months away from turning 21. By the Seceltor Empire's laws, he will have to go to a breeding camp, or directly into slavery. Neither choice appeals to him. All this changes with the arrival of a space-and-time-traveling being known as Evaran at the space-station-turned-rest-stop that Jake lives on.

Fluency

NASA discovered the alien ship lurking in the asteroid belt in the 1960's. They kept the Target under intense surveillance for decades, letting the public believe they were exploring the solar system, while they worked feverishly to refine the technology needed to reach it. Dr. Jane Holloway is content documenting nearly-extinct languages and had never contemplated becoming an astronaut. But when NASA recruits her to join a team of military scientists for an expedition to the Target, it's an adventure she can't refuse.

When Gravity Fails: Marid Audran Trilogy, Book 1

For a new kind of killer roams the streets of the Arab ghetto, a madman whose bootlegged personality cartridges range from a sinister James Bond to a sadistic disemboweler named Khan. And Marid Audrian has been made an offer he can't refuse.The 200-year-old godfather of the Budayeen's underworld has enlisted Marid as his instrument of vengeance. But first Marid must undergo the most sophisticated of surgical implants before he dares to confront a killer who carries the power of every psychopath since the beginning of time.

Altered Carbon

In the 25th century, humankind has spread throughout the galaxy, monitored by the watchful eye of the U.N. While divisions in race, religion, and class still exist, advances in technology have redefined life itself. Now, assuming one can afford the expensive procedure, a person's consciousness can be stored in a cortical stack at the base of the brain and easily downloaded into a new body (or "sleeve") making death nothing more than a minor blip on a screen.

Panglor: Star Rigger, Book 1

Wrongly discredited as a space pilot, Panglor Balef is doomed to die in space, if sheer luck doesn’t bring him through. But luck has never been in Panglor’s cards. Bad enough to be coerced into a mission of murder and suicide, he must also contend with Alo - a young woman, stowaway, and impossible companion. Neither of them, nor his empathic ou-ralot, could possibly anticipate the journey through space-time they are about to embark on, through a door to an insane reality from which there is almost certainly no return.

The Amber Project: The Variant Saga Volume 1

In 2157, a mysterious gas known as Variant spreads across the globe, killing or mutating most organic life. The surviving humans take refuge in an underground city, determined to return home. But after generations of failures and botched attempts, hope is beginning to dwindle. That is, until a young scientist makes a unique discovery, and everything changes. Suddenly, there's reason to hope again, and it rests within a group of genetically engineered children that are both human and Variant.

Excelsior

The year is AD 2790. With space elevators and giant orbital fleets hovering over Earth, open war looks inevitable, and people are anxious to get away. The lines are drawn, with the Confederacy in the East and the First World Alliance in the West. In hopes of finding a refuge from the looming war, the Alliance is sending Captain Alexander de Leon to explore an Earth-type planet, code-named Wonderland, but at the last minute before launch, a Confederate fleet leaves orbit on a trajectory that threatens both the mission and Alliance sovereignty.

Invasion: Alien Invasion, Book 1

They are coming. The countdown has begun. First visible only as blips on a telescope image, the discovery of objects approaching from Jupiter's orbit immediately sets humanity on edge. NASA doesn't even bother to deny the alien ships' existence. The popular Astral space app (broadcasting from the far side of the moon and accessible by anyone with Internet) has already shown the populace what is coming.

Into the Black: Odyssey One

Captain Eric Weston and his crew encounter horrors, wonders, monsters, and people; all of which will test their resolve, challenge their abilities, and put in sharp relief what is necessary to be a hero. A first-rate military-science-fiction epic that combines old-school space opera and modern storytelling, Into the Black: Odyssey One is a riveting, exhilarating adventure with vivid details, rich mythology, and relentless pacing.

Legacy: A Prequel to Eon

In this prequel to Eon, Greg Bear continues to explore the possibilities presented by the asteroid Thistledown, a remnant of a lost human civilization. The Way is a tunnel through space and time that leads to other worlds, some more like planet Earth than Earth itself. It is perhaps the most formidable discovery in Thistledown and with it come disputes as to the nature of the Way and how it should be used. The Way can be reached only through Axis City, the only space station of Thistledown.

In Times Like These

Benjamin Travers has been electrocuted. What's worse, he and his friends have woken up in the past. As the friends search for a way home, they realize they're not alone. There are other time travelers, and some of them are turning up dead.

The Best of All Possible Worlds

A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever. Now a man and a woman from these two clashing societies must work together to save this vanishing race—and end up uncovering ancient mysteries with far-reaching ramifications.

Freedom's Landing: Freedom Series, Book 1

It's the dawning of a new age for mankind when the Catteni descend to Earth and easily overcome the Earth's population. Thousands are herded onto slave ships headed for the intergalactic auction block. Kris Bjornsen is captured in Denver on her way to her college classes and wakes up on the primitive planet Barevi.

Publisher's Summary

Women rule the world in this suspenseful love story set in a post-nuclear future. Having expelled men from their vast walled cities to a lower-class wilderness, the women in this futuristic universe dictate policy and chart the future through control of scientific and technological advances. Among their laws are the rules for reproductive engagement, an act now viewed as a means of procreation rather than an act of love. In this rigidly defined environment, a chance meeting between a woman exiled from the female world and a wilderness man triggers a series of feelings, actions, and events that ultimately threaten the fabric of the women's constricted society. Trying to evade the ever-threatening female forces and the savage wilderness men, the two lovers struggle to find a safe haven and reconcile the teachings of their upbringings with their newly awakened feelings.

What made the experience of listening to The Shore of Women the most enjoyable?

The voices of the actors make listening to this book as good as a film. The characters had rich texture revealed by adept narration of Sargent's engaging text.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The first person perspectives of Arvil as he struggles with radical change of his surroundings, his faith and ultimately in his very understanding of the workings of the universe, make the story a true adventure.

What about Stephen Largay and Sarah Ellis ’s performance did you like?

The performances are first rate. Largay produces an array of voices that vividly depict the wild world outside the walls of the city. He brings to life the gruff, the arrogant, and the meek among the men that Arvil encounters. The voice brings out Arvil's frailty and his wonder at the changes around him. Sara Ellis's portrayal of Birana contrasts sharply with Largay's earthy overtones. She brings a crisper and more sterile tone to her voice, which brings to life the sterility of life within the city walls.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

On the first day, I listened for hours - on the way to work and then back again...then I played the story through my phone in my breast pocket around the house all evening as I cleaned the house, so I could listen more.

I checked this book out at the request of my daughter. She was listening to it and wanted to have somebody to talk to about it.

My first reaction upon beginning this book was, wow, there is a lot of world building happening, and I had a difficult time caring. This story felt like an extreme and obvious vehicle for pointing out an injustice that I think very few people have difficulty in recognizing (regardless of their personal takes on feminist issue's). It did very little to bring attention to the subtler and perhaps more insidious symptoms and problems of a society struggling to reduce the gap in such power schisms, or to demonstrate the new problems that such changes can bring.

I liked some of the characters but the book was incredibly slow paced for as much as ostensibly took place within it. I also felt as though the device of the book was, as I've already mentioned extreme and obvious, but ultimately made no real point. At the end of it I saw no suggestions for answers or changes or hope of any kind. It was a sermon of fire and brimstone with no ultimate offer of a savior or sanctuary.

I listened to this book for "free" through the Amazon Prime program, and I am glad that I didn't spend actual money on it. I don't know that I'd take back the 12+ hours I spent listening to it ... I mean, if nothing else it did get me thinking, and I am sure my daughter and I will have an interesting conversation about it. I won't be sorry it isn't in my permanent library though as it is not a book I can ever imagine feeling compelled to revisit.

Would you try another book from Pamela Sargent and/or Stephen Largay and Sarah Ellis ?

Yes, definitely. I can't believe Audible hasn't given Stephen Largay more work - this is his only narration on the site!

What did you like best about this story?

Arvil, period. I loved his awe and confusion and naiveté at the beginning, which was obvious from the writing but made so genuine by the exquisite narration. There was the perfectly paced growing confidence of the character, again voiced expertly. By the end, he is almost a different person, and having been there to watch him develop into a man made him feel like family. Not like a son, but maybe like watching a favorite nephew grow up right in front of you.

Did Stephen Largay and Sarah Ellis do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes and no. I cannot say enough about Largay's skills in narration. Many of his voices were quite different from each other, making it obvious when different people were speaking. I think he did a fine job with the female characters, unlike Ellis. I disliked so much about Ellis' performances. So much of the beginning of the book is voiced by her, and I think it made it much more difficult for me to get into the story. I didn't like the way every chapter by her seemed to be jarring, having no flow from whatever came just before, as if the start of every recording she did required her to re-discover the voice of the characters. There was very little differentiating between her characters. Near the end, she voices a male character and he sounds ridiculous. There is a character in the book whose name each of the narrator's pronounce differently, and that drove me nuts.

Another review appreciated Ellis' job of creating cold-sounding characters. Maybe so much of what I disliked about her performance was on purpose, right down to undifferentiated female voices. After all, the women are living in a society where they are practically clones of each other because of strict doctrine. I would be interested in trying something else of hers to test this theory, to see if she does warm characters well. Unfortunately, Audible hasn't seemed to put her to work for anything else either.

Did The Shore of Women inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to review the book. I cannot express in words how the character of Arvil, especially the narration by Largay, moved me. There is a scene that is terrible to listen to, hearing a very young man (still a boy really) describe the horrors of a massacre in real time. The pauses to find words or just to find the will to finish the thought out loud, the cracks of voice that grows raw from tears... The sound of his struggling voice - not the words themselves - in that scene stayed with me for days, even after I had finished listening and gone on to another book. But wait until you hear him voice Arvil's awe. It was worth the time spent on this book just to experience that awe and wonder describing the goddess, devotion, and the body of woman. Incredible.

Any additional comments?

It should be required reading for feminists. We should be reminded regularly, daily even, that men are not a different species. They are our partners. Women and men can do anything, including surprise you, because we are all human and that's in our humanity, not our gender. Anti-feminists who get ahold of this will be jumping up and down, pointing and hooting and claiming "I told you so!" until they are hoarse. As an old-school, Third Wave feminist enjoying the new freedom that comes with the allowance of celebrating all things female by Fourth Wave feminists, I am left scratching my head harder at the mere existence of a "I don't need feminism" movement. This book was written when feminism wasn't all inclusive, wasn't embracing and accepting - and look at what a stark, cautionary tale it is. This is an example of how feminists have known for quite some time that equality isn't about dragging down men and attacking women who don't see things quite the way we do. And yet, anti-feminists seem hell-bent on attacking feminists and putting men on pedestals. Irony is only funny when nobody is being hurt by it.